I wanted to get a life jacket for my mini Goldendoodle who is about 25 lbs. We will be spending time at my sisters lake house and I want to keep him safe. My husband thinks I am crazy as dogs can swim, but I think it is best! Does anyone have any recommendations for brand or type? Thanks!

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I have the ruffwear K9 float coat, and it's a really nice dog lifejacket, but it's also about the most expensive life jacket they make for dogs, I think. I also have one of the Kong Sport Aqua Pro Flotation vest that I bought on Chewy.com. It's not quite as expensive, and it is virtually identical to the float coat. In my experience the local dog supply stores have very limited options and they are expensive, and not the best quality. But looking at Amazon, I see several that I would try in the 20 -30 dollar range.

Mine aren't big swimmers. They mostly like to wade where they can touch. They can swim, but especially if we are going to be on the boat I want them to have life jackets. If for no other reason than the handle is really handy to get them back in the boat!

The Ruffwear float coat is over $100 on Amazon here (ouch). There are a few other versions of it too including a "sport" one without the front floatie (front floatie is supposed to help them keep their head up). I am wondering if the orange one is just too much though since we are just pool swimming.

We didn't start Hanna swimming until she was 5, (for various reasons) and so she was not confident at all when she started. We also used the Ruffwear K9 float coat. I think it really helped her relax and gain confidence, so I'm real glad we got her one. Now, 3.5 years later, you can tell she is much more relaxed and feels much more comfortable in the water. We still put it on her sometimes, depending on the situation, but not all the time. Like Stacy said, I know there are other less expensive brands out there, I just happen to be a ruffwear fan. Good luck and have fun !!

Definitely get a life jacket - they may get tired of swimming more easily than they realize, or get further from you/shore then they have the energy to swim back. The peace of mind is worth it. We love the ruffwear float coat.